Do you need to hire a structural engineering consultant for your project?

03Feb2020

By Vincent Brady

If you need a structural engineering consultant, you need to hire a company that has the right qualifications and experience to help make your project a success. A structural engineering consultant is highly qualified and will have been trained to a high standard. Someone without the required qualifications may tell you they can do the job, but it’s very risky to employ anyone that is nor fully conversant with what they should be doing and could prove a very expensive mistake in the long run.

The training required to become a structural engineering consultant

To become a structural engineering consultant, you usually need a degree in engineering, or a master’s degree in engineering. Some employers will take people on without the right qualifications, but they have to prove they have the required experience and knowledge instead. There is a lot for anyone that wants to undertake a career as a structural engineering consultant to learn, such as:

Using technology, generally Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to calculate pressures and stresses and materials and the other components used in a building.

Knowing which materials will have the strength needed and be the most suitable for the project you’re working on.

How to manage the risks to make the building as safe as possible from some of nature’s forces. High winds, snow, floods and earthquakes are typical examples of nature’s way of damaging structures.

Inspecting the project during construction to ensure that all regulations and laws are being complied with.

How to deal with the demolition of, or remodeling and repair, of structures that are unsafe.

They will also be taught to make sure that all the work meets legal requirements and that health and safety rules are followed at all times to keep any workers and visitors to the site safe. Knowing how to design a building is also extremely important. A good structural engineering consultant will work with you and produce a set of plans that are ready for the tender stage. They will also be very aware of the costs involved and will do their best to keep your project within the budget specified.

Commercial or domestic, a structural engineering consultant can help you with both

Whether your project involves just one house or a sky scraper, the first thing to do is find a good structural engineering consultant. Projects of any size will benefit from their expertise, and hiring one in the very early stages is a wise thing to do.

The service of a structural engineering consultant can also be vital if you are buying a property, regardless of whether it is domestic or commercial. They will know what faults to look for that may cause a problem later and could affect the market price of the property.

Mortgage lenders will not normally request a structural survey, but for your own peace of mind they are worthwhile, particularly if the property you are considering purchasing is more than 50 years old. A structural engineering consultant will check what materials have been used, as before then it was not unusual for asbestos to be part of a construction, and you would want it removed by specialists before completing the purchase. They will look for other building defects too, many of which may not be obvious to the layperson. The roof, the walls and the foundations will all be inspected, and you will be provided with a detailed report of problems they find.

Some sellers are quite surprised when a report comes from a structural engineering consultant pointing out damp issues, woodworm, poor plumbing or electrical work and many other issues that could come to light. If a business has been running from premises for a long time, or a homeowner has lived in a house for many years, and they are now selling, these problems can have arisen without them even realising it. For this reason, some sellers arrange for a structural survey before marketing their property so they can be certain there will be no problems they are unaware of that could cost them money.

Just remember that the cost of a report from a structural engineering consultant could save you a lot of euros if any of the issues get worse after you have taken over the property, if they then need specialist attention.

Call us when you need to hire a structural engineering consultant

At Banrach Consulting Engineers, we have a team of professionals that are ideal if you need to hire a structural engineering consultant. They can provide you with structural plans for any size project and will work with you to ensure the smooth completion of your project. They are very aware that most projects are driven by budget and will use all their knowledge and experience to ensure the best materials for the job are used in the most cost-effective way.

With more than 15 years’ experience, it does not matter how large or small your project is, we will be able to help. We will manage the project for you and take all the stress off your shoulders. Many people undertaking a project for the first time do not realise how many factors have to be considered, but we do. We will ensure that everything is taken into account, including the planning permission needed, and that each phase of the project is compliant with the laws and regulations in place.

Our team is also happy to carry out structural surveys of existing buildings, which is another reason that if you need a structural engineering consultant, you should get in touch with us at Banrach Consulting Engineers.

We are easy to contact on 01 969 6373 or you can email us at vincent@vbce.ie. You will find that we are also really easy to deal with, as we understand structural engineering, planning permissions and civil engineering and all the associated components, as well as the burden it can place on you if you try to handle these matters yourself.